So the road went caving in. This will be our third editorial in a week on civic infrastructure and perhaps it is time for all of us to say to this government, forget the big dreams, just let us have what we did before.
Early Saturday morning, the Herald office was literally flooded with calls and Whats App messages and pictures from Dona Paula where a portion of the road from the NIO circle to the jetty had simply caved in. There was a deep gash, like a volcano crater. But the fumes that emerged were angry voices. Of residents whose lives are a virtual jail and they know now what a government entrapment means. Of tourists who are left wondering, if this is the Goa that is sold, of broken roads and blockages.
This was after all a disaster meant to happen as the government has retired from civic administration, ceding space to absolute madness of digging and cutting up Panjim in the name of beautification. The Miramar-Dona Paula road is certainly a project. But as we have said before, it is a private limited project for the private benefit of people whose official salaries are paid by the tax payers money. If there was any evidence needed to completely destroy the gallant promise of the Chief Minister that there would zero tolerance to corruption, a promise delivered from the Campal grounds, during his swearing in ceremony, his promise has caved in with the road that passes right in front of that very ground. Now he faces some public swearing. This is a Rs 84 crore project when it was not just needed, or if needed, the people of Panjim should have had a say.
While this has been a disaster of city planning, the root lies in corruption. The people of Goa demand that the Government hold a public hearing of citizens to answer their questions and provide documents. This should be like a spot RTI, where replies to questions should be furnished on the following
a) Why has the CCP been dropped from the project plan?
b) Please provide every single document related to the process of tendering that took place before selecting the contractor for this project. Is it true that the same contractor has been given work for each and every project of the GSIDC in Panjim?
c) Why has the proposed four lanes of the Miramar Dona Paula road been reduced to three lanes in a small section of DB Marg upto the Miramar circle?
d) Where is the empirical evidence that putting concrete over the sewage lines will not affect repairs to sewage lines
e) The entire breakup of the costs of the projects, the details of sub tenders if any awarded and the process for tendering of each of the mini works.
This is not all. Through this editorial, Herald invites residents of Panjim to send in their questions which we need to keep asking and insisting that a public hearing takes place. The absolute nonchalance of the government and its blue eyed bureaucrat Sanjith Rodrigues, has to be fought and mere grumbling and noise won’t do. Those who have butchered Panjim for their vested interests must face the revenge of the streets.
Our movement has been hampered, our homes are blocked, the entrance to a major school is a mess and now there is the lurking danger of people walking on the internal roads finding the ground beneath their feet caving. And no Mr Chief Minister, do not play the engineering card on us, or the development card or that sickening cliché that is signposted at many of these projects Today’s pain, tomorrows gain. This pain has been felt for far too long. And what if tomorrow never comes?
It’s time the government met the people on the street. And face the revenge of the street.
